African cultural practices may further food insecurity

Food security is all about the stable availability, accesses and utilization of food to support a healthy and active lifestyle. Absense of any of the above pillars implies food insecurity or vulnerability to food insecurity. The measures of food insecurity among others are malnutrition, stunting, wasting, low birth weight, morbidity, mortality rate and coping strategies employed.

Among the many causes of food and nutrition insecurity such as low agricultural production, low purchasing power, political instability, disease, drought, e.t.c, is cultural practices. Some cultural practices prevent children and women (including pregnant and lactating women) from accessing a balanced and nutritious diet, which results in malnutrition, starvation, stunting, wasting, illness and death.

For example, in the past, many African cultures forbade women from eating foods such as eggs, milk, fish, chicken, all of which are rich in protein. In some cultures today, only men are allowed to eat the gizzard of a chicken because it is believed to make men potent and women infertile.

Some cultures forbid pregnant and lactating women from eating furits and vegetables claiming that they are harmful to infants.

In some parts of Africa, women and children only eat after the men have had thier fill. This leaves an inadequate food in both quantity and quality for the women and children.

The result of these and many more cultural practices is malnutrition, stunting, wasting, morbidity and mortality in children. This not only affects them as children but also affects their physical and mental capacity as adults. Women will have problems during pregnancy and birth.

In keeping up with the Jonses, some households in Africa avoid eating widely growing and readily available, highly nutritious vegetables as they are considered inferior foods. Those households miss out on balanced diets (consequently malnutrition) and spend their already meagre income on purchasing food in markets.

Africa has an abundant supply of food and is bursting with naturally growing nutrient rich fruits and vegetables. Why spend money on food and yet we can freely harvest it from our backyards! Let us put aside our pride and ignorance and take advantage of nature's free gifts. Let us let go of those cultural practices that hold us back, rather than benefit us.